The Importance of Branding: Why I’ll Never Treat a Logo as a ‘Graphic’

Sometimes, potential clients will ask me just to create a logo for them without the expectation that I’ll do their branding. For me, a logo is more than a simple graphic. Graphics are easy to create. But a logo is usually what consumers associate with a brand or business. It’s an essential part of branding.

Additionally, some people think I’ll only design a website or create one asset of branding. Now, I used to take on clients who only wanted that, but it’s difficult for me now. It’s important for me to hammer out the details via the full branding process. That consists of interviews, a collaborative Pinterest board with the client, exploring every facet of the logo design (colors and typography), a mood board, and a style guide – the whole kit and caboodle.

Of course, if someone needs a website, I’ll oblige; however, I still must establish the foundational branding blocks before even considering site design. If they already have branding, I’ll hit the “refresh” button and inject new life into it. If they don’t have a brand, it’s back to square one so I can flesh out who they are and build it from the ground up.

Regardless, it’s best not to cut corners when it comes to branding. A brand should tell prospective consumers precisely who they’re buying from and what they stand for. That’s why I need to fully understand my client, their objective, their target audience, and what appeals to them before I can get to the logo, website, etc.

Weirdly enough, trying to speed up the process by cutting corners doesn’t actually get you from A to B more quickly. Why? You’re working from a place of ignorance. You’ll go through extra design iterations because you don’t know what your client wants. There’s a good chance they don’t know what they want without solidifying the branding basics.

The point is: branding is crucial. When you’re working with me, you get the full MoJo Design experience from beginning to end. I won’t crank something out without creating a solid branding foundation. And why would you want someone half-assing the branding for your hard work? Circling back to that logo, it’s not simply a graphic – it’s a representation of you.